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• ISFI 2010 International Symposium on Fire Investigation Science and Technology, Located at University of Maryland, University College Conference Center, 27th-29th September. For more information or to register as a delegate or to submit an abstract please click here.

IFE receives US$786,000 grant to continue the groundbreaking strategic fire safety work of Vision 20/20

The US Branch of the Institution of Fire Engineers has been awarded a US$786,000 grant by the Department of Homeland Security, to continue the work of the landmark Vision 20/20 project. Since its inception in 2007, the Vision 20/20 initiative has played a central role in bringing together fire safety organisations across America to develop common national strategies for reducing loss of life and injury from fire.

There are five strategies that have been collaboratively developed, including:

• Increasing advocacy for fire prevention

• Conducting a national safety education/social marketing campaign

• Raising the importance of fire prevention within the fire service

• Promoting technology to enhance fire and life safety

• Refining and improving the application of codes and standards that enhance public and firefighter safety and preserve community assets

The grant - given by the Department of Homeland Security Fire Prevention and Safety grant programme - also includes funding for implementing an integrated risk management (IRM) model for three communities. IRM is a process of identifying high-risk areas and designing strategies that include home safety visits and smoke alarm installations. It is a variation on models that have proven highly successful in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and combines elements of emergency response with proactive fire prevention.

IRM is a prevention-oriented activity that falls under two Vision 20/20 strategies - increasing the level of importance of fire prevention programmes in the fire service and a national public education campaign focusing on working alarms. Vision 20/20 project manager, Jim Crawford, said: 'The focus of the next stage of work for Vision 20/20 is moving the five strategies forward towards more concrete actions and continuing to work in partnership with other organisations to create a collaborative environment for sharing ideas. Where possible, we are going to promote sharing resources to increase the synergy of what is happening under a variety of concurrent prevention efforts.

Clearly, by working together, we are far more effective in reducing the tragic impact of fire. Almost 3,000 people lose their lives each year and almost 15,000 are injured in fires in the USA, which cause an estimated US$15.5bn in property damage.

More information on the US Branch can be found at website www.ife-usa.org while further details on the Vision 20/20 project are available at www.strategicfire.org